My last day in the smiling country

Today was an intense day. Teena and I spent a bit of the morning at Blum playing with the kids during the break they get in their morning classes. It only confirmed our statement that the new group will require some time before they become accustomed to interacting with each other in a more respectable way.

We arrived just as their break was beginning and we had a fun time dancing with them to some music that Teena brought. They seemed to really love dancing and Mr. Chin Chea noted that this would be good for their morning exercise.

Then we tried to introduce jumping rope. That was a bit less successful but still loads of fun. We started out turning the rope for them and they took turns jumping. But they were so excited that every time one child was done, the whole group would rush in to be the next jumper and then the rest of the group would just stay put. They never really quite grasped that we needed them to retreat to a safe distance to avoid being smacked in the face by the rope as we started up again with the new jumper.

There were a few scuffles once we handed over the rope to two children to turn while others jumped. Nothing serious but they definitely are still competitive for anything that might appeal to them, including attention. One girl, as sweet as she was, I thought would break my arms because she just hung onto to me while giggling and smiling up at me. But as soon as another child came over for even just a quick hug, she was obviously not pleased and actually hit one of them. I tried explaining to her that that was not okay but I speak no Khmer and her English is limited to “hello.”

Then Teena and I headed back to Alexandra where the weekly boarders greeted us with smiling faces. It still amazes me how everyone in Cambodia seems to be so happy and friendly. No smile ever goes unreturned. I also spoke with Dale about my confusion over the lack of violence here. I have felt completely safe here, even while walking in the slums. It is hard for me to rectify this in my mind because I have lived in other countries where similar atrocities have occurred, although probably to a lesser extent to what Cambodia experienced from the hands of the Khmer Rouge. And those other countries are much more violent and unsafe for everyone who lives there. I wouldn’t dare step into a slum in some of those countries. So how is it that the Khmer live in such a different reality?

In the late afternoon, Teena and I visited Tuol Sleng, once a high school that was converted into the main prison and torture center in Phnom Penh during the Khmer Rouge regime. It is now a museum that documents the atrocities carried out in those creepy buildings. This visit only dumbfounded me more about the spirit of the Khmer. I couldn’t stomach looking at some of the photos of torture victims. I can only imagine what it must have been like to live through those years of oppression and starvation. But the Khmer lived through this regime and somehow can find it in them to live relatively peacefully and return every smile they receive with an even greater one.

It really is an amazing country.

Signing off now. We fly back to Singapore tomorrow. I will definitely be sad to go.

Posted by Ellie Klerlein